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Pantheons
A Pantheon is a particular set of all gods in a mythology/religion. Pantheons can essentially be thought of as different nations of divine beings, each with their own corresponding culture of mortals who either currently or formerly worshiped them. Description Most Pantheons share a symbiotic relationship with the culture they represent. This means they can change to reflect changes in that culture (the Greek and Chinese gods both do this), and will weaken or even fade if that civilization declines or is destroyed. This symbiotic relationship also works in reverse, which is why Western Civilization would unravel if the Olympian order was overthrown. Perhaps because of this symbiotic relationships, when the host cultures of two pantheons go to war the deities of that pantheon (or at least their demigod children) tend to fight as well. During the christianization of Scandinavia for instance there was the on-going battle between the White Christ and Red Thor. The Greek gods battled the Egyptian gods during Alexander the Great's conquest of Egypt and again during Antony's Civil War. During the age of European Imperialism and American "Manifest Destiny" the Olympians would wage war against the indigenous gods and spirits of invaded regions. Pantheons are often subdivided into different tribes or factions. The Greco-Roman pantheon for instance has the kingdom of the Sky ruled by Zeus, the ocean ruled by Poseidon, and underworld ruled by Hades. Another example would be the Norse pantheon which is divided between the tribes of Asgard and Vanaheim. Syncretism Syncretism is the merging or assimilation of originally discrete traditions, especially in mythology and religion. This can happen from two religious groups or peoples simply existing in proximity to one another and interacting or intermarrying over an extended period of time. It can also also happen when a culture is conquered and the the conquerors bring their culture with them but do not succeed at eradicating the native religion (or don't attempt to). This melding of cultures is sometimes represented by gods from one culture being adopted into a foreign pantheon, intermarriage between pantheons, and the creation of syncretic deities. During the Ptolmiac period for instance Isis was married to the Greco-Egyptian god Serapis as part of an attempt to reconcile and unite the two pantheons. This union produced the god of silence Harpocrates. Several Celtic goddesses such as Sirona, and Rosmerta, also married the Roman gods after the conquest of Gaul and Britain. Extinct Pantheons Not every god ever worshiped by humanity is still around. Gods that are not well remembered and are never worshiped can fade from existence, this can happen to entire pantheon. Gods of cultures without written languages are especially vulnerable to this fate. As mentioned before most pantheons share a symbiotic relationship to the cultures they represent so if that civilization is destroyed they will be destroyed and visa versa. Many of the pantheons that once existed in Europe faded from existence after their people were conquered by Rome and assimilated into Roman culture: including the Pre-Roman Italian gods, the Lusitanian deities, and the gods of the Paleo-Balkan mythologies. Some pantheons faded when their people were converted to one of the Abrahamic faiths; for instance the Prussian gods died when when their pagan worshipers were defeated by the Teutonic Knights in the Prussian Crusade and the Arabic gods did not survive their regions conversion to Islam. Other gods however survived the loss of worship: including the Greco-Romans, Norse, Celtic, Egyptians, and Sumerians. Conquest and assimilation doesn't necessarily kill a culture (and by extension it's pantheon), as mentioned before it can often simply result in syncretism. Another way for a Pantheon to go extinct if is it's host culture is destroyed via ethnic cleansing; in this case the gods would die alongside their people. Many Native American pantheons were destroyed in this manner. Hurrian, Hattic, and Hittite The leaders of this pantheon were the storm god Teshub and his wife a sun goddess named Hebat. Similar to Zeus, Teshub came to power by overthrowing his cannibalistic father Kumarbi. Kumarbi took power by overthrowing his brother Anu, and Anu took power by overthrowing his father, the progenitor and original ruler of this pantheon, Alulu. During the Late Bronze Age collapse, the Hittite Kingdom and the Hurrian states were destroyed and this and this pantheon faded (the causal direction of this is unclear). Unfortunately the greatest threat faced by this pantheon, Illuyanka survived. Sabine The gods of an ancient central Italian people who inhabited the area before the founding of Rome or the arrival of Aeneas and his Trojan refugees (the people whose descendants would later found Rome) to the Italian peninsula. Legend says that Romans abducted and raped Sabine women to help populate their newly built city, this is what caused the first Roman-Sabine War. The Romans would refer to many of the Old Olympian deities by the names of Sabine gods who presumably had a similar function in Sabine mythology. The Roman-Sabine ware continued on and off for centuries with Rome gaining more and more territory until they were finally conquered in 290 BC and the Sabines became Roman citizens. They assimilated into Roman society and the old Sabine Gods were eventually forgotten. The Roman gods merged with the essence of Their Sabine namesakes. Arabian This pantheon of gods was worshipped by the tribes of Arabia before the rise of Islam. The three chief goddesses of this pantheon are Allat goddess of war, peace, prosperity, and combat; Al-Uzza the goddess of strength, love, and protection; and Malat, the goddess of fate/destiny, time, and fortune. These three were known as the daughters of Allah. Manat was the wife of Hubal; king of the Arabian gods as well as the god of divination, storms, rain, and warfare. Al-Lat and Al-Uzza were wives of a god called Dushara. Excluding Allah, there were once 360 deities in the Arabian pantheon, they were worshipped they were worshipped at local shrines and temples such as the Kaaba in Mecca This pantheon is somehwat mysterious because none of it's mythology survives. Allah is the only god worshipped by the Arabs to whom no idols have ever been built. The conquest of Mecca around 629-630 AD led to the destruction of the idols around the Kaaba, including Hubal. Following the conquest, shrines and temples dedicated to deities were destroyed, such as the shrines to al-Lat, al-’Uzza and Manat in Ta’if, Nakhla and al-Qudayd respectively. Wherever Muhummad and his followers conquered they destroyed burnt the temples, destroyed shrines and killed gods. Within a few generations of Muhummad all the Pagan gods of Arabia had faded from existence. Known Pantheons European 'Celtic "Tuathe De Dannan":' The two primordial deities of the Celtic pantheon are the earth goddess Danu and her sister the chaotic water goddess Domnu. Danu gave birth to a race of deities who would call themselves the "Tuathe De Dannan" or "tribe/people of the goddess Danu". Domnu on the other hand birthed a race of monstrous giants called the Formorians. The Celtic gods were driven from the mortal world a long time ago by a group of powerful and evil mortals called the Milesians. Ever since they have lived in pocket dimensions called Otherworlds, they still return every now and then to have affairs with mortals. They guard natural things. For example, Cernunnos guards the forest, and Artio bears. The greatest evils of this pantheon include Domnu the evil primordial water goddess and her giant spawn the Formorians. A past evil threat is Carman, goddess of evil and foreigners, when she invaded from Greece and whom the Dagda banished back to Greece. Greek Hellenistic (Greek, Etruscan, and Roman) "the Olympians": Arguably the most powerful pantheon of gods currently in existence. These gods are tied to the life-force of western civilization so if Olympians were over-thrown western civilization would collapse and if western civilization were destroyed the Greco-Roman gods would fade. This symbiotic relationship is also why this pantheon moves around to wherever the center of Western Civilization happens to be; from Greece to Rome, to Byzantium, to Germany, to France, to Spain, and spent a few centuries in England before coming to America. The Greco-Roman gods were fortunate enough to survive the Roman Empire's conversion to Christianity but were severely weakened when the Western Roman Empire fell. The Greco-Roman gods are divided into three major factions, one led by Zeus/Jupiter, one by Poseidon/Neptune, and one by Hades/Pluto. The greatest evils ever faced by this Pantheon include the Titans, Typhon, and the Gigantes. Norse "Aesir and the Vanir". Norse gods can suffer physical death unlike the Greco-Roman or Egyptian gods who can only "fade" or have their essence scattered. The Norse Pantheon is split into two tribes. The Aesir and the Vanir. This pantheon has been at war with the Jotuns on and off for their entire existence and have faced no shortage of threats, their greatest evils however are Surtr, Loki and his villainous spawn Jorumungard, Hel, and Fenris the wolf all of whom will be let loose at Ragnarok. Past threats include Ymir. Finnish: The gods of Finland are led by Ukko. Their greatest threats include Louhi, a sun-stealing witch, and Lempo, treacherous love god of evil. Baltic (Lavitan and Lithuanian) Slavic: This pantheon was once worshiped throughout eastern Europe and Russia. The Slavic pantheon is currently ruled by Perun, a sky father, and his wife Mokosh, an earth mother. The pantheon was originally ruled by Perun's grandparents the primordial gods Rod and Rozanica, then by Perun's father Svarog. This pantheon also includes Dazbog, a sun god, his wife Mayesyets, a moon goddess, and their daughters the Zorya sisters Danica, the morning star, and Naya, the evening star. Danica and Naya are guardians of the doomsday hound Simargl, one of the greatest threats of this pantheon and a creature who could destroy the world if it ever got free. The other greatest evil of this pantheon is the dark god Chernobog (which splits into Dij, Nij and Kashchej). North Africa and the Middle East Egyptian: The Egyptian gods are older than the Olympians and also tied into the life-force of Western Civilization. Unlike the Greek and Roman gods, the Egyptian deities almost never have affairs with mortals. The Egyptian gods mostly live in a dimension of magic called the Duat and can't exist in the mortal realm without some kind of host or anchor. The greatest evil this pantheon ever faced is the chaos serpent Apophis. Semitic (Canaanite and Ancient Israelite): This original king and queen of this Pantheon were El and Asherah, who had 70 sons and 70 daughter. When El decided to retire he appointed his eldest son Yam as his successor. Yam however became a tyrant and forced the other gods to labor for him, so El's second son Baal led a rebellion against Yam. After a lengthy war, Baal succeeded in dethroning Yam, cast him out of heaven and into the watery abyss. El's third son Mavet, the god of death and the underworld, attempted to overthrow Baal but was defeated and submitted to Baal, cementing Baal's place as ruler of the pantheon. Yam, the god of the seas, rivers, and chaos still wishes to dethrone Baal and rule heaven, and so he repeatedly comes back from the depths beneath the sea to battle for the throne. Yam was the greatest threat faced by the pantheon. Mesopotamian (Sumerian, Akkad, Assyria, Babylon) This is the very oldest pantheon known to exist. Much like the Greek gods shifted with the center of the West the Sumerian gods shifted with the center of their civilization. It went from Sumeria to Akkad, to Babylon to Assyria. Notable gods include. * Ishtar * Nergal * Ereshkigal The greatest evil of this pantheon would be Tiamat the primordial dragon goddess of chaos and creation. Persian The god of time Zurvan who arose from chaos. Zurvan was morally neutral and created two sons, Ormuzd (or Ahura Mazda) the supreme god of light and Ahriman ( or Angra Mainyu) the supreme god of darkness and greatest threat of the Zoroastrian pantheon. The god Mithras was originally a member of this pantheon. Indian/Hindu This pantheon has three major male deities called the Trimurti; Bhrama the creator, Visnnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer and recreator. One of the greatest evils that exists in this pantheon is the demon king Ravana. East Asian Korean The King of the Korean Pantheon is Dangun. One such threat to the Korean gods is Samyeong-Jangja and Seokja is another threat. Chinese pantheon "Celestial Bureaucracy" The Chinese Gods and immortals are organized into a complex bureaucracy. This pantheon is led by the Jade Emperor. The greatest threats to this pantheon were Chiyou and the Dragon Gong Gong. Shinto/Japanese: Led by the sun goddess Amaterasu. Shinto deities are known as Kami, shinto Kami live in practically everything and number in the thousands. Many of the Shinto Kami would not be accepted as gods in other pantheons and would be considered nymphs, faeries or minor nature spirits. The Shinto pantheon is one of the few pantheons whose power truly equals that of the Greco-Romans. Shinto is tied to the east in the same way that Olympus is tied to the west and the Shinto deities have adapted over the years to reflect the changes in Japanese culture. The greatest threat ever encountered is Amatsu-Mikaboshi, the archenemy of the Shinto Kami. Turkic-Mongolian: Led by Tengri, these gods are powerful. The greatest threat ever faced by this pantheon is the wicked god Erlik. Southeast Asia Philippine: The people of the Philippines worshiped Bathala, Tala and other gods. The greatest threat is Detinos, god of evil. Indonesian Oceania Australian Aboriginal: Baiame and his master Altjira are best worshiped. Most iconic kangaroo gods are Multultu and Minawara. The greatest threat ever faced has to be the Bunyip. Another threat is Wambeen, the wicked god of evil. Maori Polynesian: The Polynesians have worshipped many gods and goddesses like Pele, the volcanic goddess. The greatest threat ever encountered is Whiro. Rapa Nui "Easter Island" Deities: Sub-Saharan West African Yoruba (West-African) "Orisha": The Orishas have been worshiped by Nigerians. Olorun is among them. There are no greatest threats until the arrival of Luke Castellan. Akan/Ashanti pantheon This religion originated from the Akan people living in present day Ghana but is now also practiced in Jamaca. This pantheon is ruled by two creator deities, a man named Nyame and a woman named Asase Ya; a sky father and earth mother respectively. The greatest threat faced by this pantheon was their god of evil Bonsa. Igbo pantheon "Alusi" Voodoo pantheon "Loa": This religion originated from the Fon people in the Dahomey Kingdom but versions of it are practiced in Haiti and and parts of the United States. The leader of the Voodoo pantheon is a creator deity called Bondye but he is rarely prayed to directly. Instead there are a number of lesser deities called the Loa who rule over a particular element or aspect of life. The Loa are divided into different Nachons (nations or families) Baron Samedi, a Loa of death, is a member of this pantheon. North American Iroquois Inuit The Inuit are a people indigenous to Alaska, Canada, and Greenland,. The Inuit pantheon has no central ruler. The greatest threat is Aipaloovik, sea-god of evil. * Igaluk: lunar deity and one of the most powerful gods in the pantheon * Malina: solar deity and sister of Igaluk * Nanook: master of bears * Pinga Cherokee Abenaki: The Abenaki worship gods like Azeban the raccoon-god and Jiibayaabooz the rabbit-god. The greatest threat ever faced is Malsumis, wolflike god of evil, who faced the heroic Glooskap, god of good. Navajo: * Estantlehi (Changing-woman): mother goddess * Coyote: trickster deity Aztec: The Aztecs worshiped a variety of gods and goddesses, including Quetzalcoatl. The sun god of this pantheon Huitzilopochtli is a paragon and warrior fighting a never-ending battle against his sister, the moon goddess Coyolxauhqui and their 400 brothers, the stars. The sun is constantly at risk of being devoured by the darkness and if Huitzilopochtli is ever defeated then afterwards Coyolxauhqui and her brothers will descend to devour the earth. In addition to Coyolxauhqui this civilization's greatest threat is Tezcatlipoca, who is responsible for the destruction of the last 4 worlds the Aztec gods made and plans to destroy this one as well. Mayan: The Mayans worshiped a variety of gods including Kukulkan, Ixchel, Camazotz, and the civilization's greatest threat Mam. South America Inca: The Incas worshiped a variety of gods including Viracocha, Pachamama, Axomamma, Mama Quilla, Mama Quocha, Urcuchillay of Lyra, and the civilization's greatest threat Supay. Guarani Led by the Tupa, lord of light, and his queen Arasye the moon goddess. The greatest evil faced by this pantheon is Tau, the personification of evil, and his seven monstrous children. Others Cezra The collection of Gods of the Cerza world. Terra Nova Also called the New World Gods or Gods of the New World is a pantheon made up of deified mortals from the Apotheosis Initiative, and the children thereof. The first twelve ascended to godhood on April 8th 2024 and were each about as powerful as one of the elder Titans. More would ascend or be born later but none as powerful as the original twelve. This pantheon is led by Abram Renato. The Terra Nova Gods fought a war against the ancient pantheons to try and overthrow them and takeover the universe.Category:Terminologies